Katie McCabe’s request denied by FIFA: Captains cannot wear OneLove armband at Women’s World Cup by Michelle
FIFA have once again blocked the OneLove armband for the World Cup. Katie McCabe, Republic of Ireland captain, has been denied permission by FIFA to wear the OneLove armband in matches at the FIFA Women’s World up, which is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, kicking off this month on 20th July to 20th August, as reported by Joe.ie.
A request by the FAI was submitted months ago, requesting that McCabe was given permission to wear either the OneLove or a rainbow armband. That request was refused and will be a major blow to LGBTQ+ players within the Republic of Ireland squad, not least of all to McCabe who is in an openly gay relationship with her partner and Ireland teammate Ruesha Littlejohn, saying in an interview last year “you love who you love“.
Captains of the World Cup squads have been given the option to wear an armband saying “Football Unites the World” for the entire tournament, or they can wear armbands corresponding to the specific cause in each round of matches or one for the whole tournament. The causes were selected after an “extensive consultation with stakeholders including players and the 32 participating member associations.” announced FIFA
“Football unites the world and our global events, such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup, have a unique power to bring people together and provide joy, excitement and passion,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“But football does even more than that – it can shine the spotlight on very important causes in our society. After some very open talks with stakeholders, including member associations and players, we have decided to highlight a series of social causes – from inclusion to gender equality, from peace to ending hunger, from education to tackling domestic violence – during all 64 matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.”
In February Arsenal’s Leah Williamson said that she hope to wear the OneLove armband at FIFA Women’s World Cup. Unfortunately Leah suffered a season-ending ACL injury in March and is unable to attend. FIFA’s decision will affect all 32 teams competing at the Women’s World Cup, just as it did at last years Men’s World Cup in Qatar, which also stopped teams from wearing the OneLove armband at the 11th hour.
Presenter and former Arsenal & England legend Alex Scott wore the armband during her commentary on the BBC at the World Cup in Qatar and was praised by many for taking a stand.
Michelle Maxwell
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